Los Angeles County health officials are investigating a reported case of hepatitis A in an employee at a Whole Foods supermarket in Beverly Hills and are warning of possible public exposure to the highly contagious liver infection.
Officials warned that anyone who purchased produce at the Crescent Drive grocery store’s seafood counter between April 20 and May 13 could be affected and urged those who are not already immunized against hepatitis A to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The virus was also recently detected among the county’s homeless population.
Hepatitis A is found in the stool and blood of infected people and can spread between people even before they have symptoms, including fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea , dark urine and yellowing of the eyes and skin.
“Receiving vaccination as soon as possible after exposure could help reduce the risk of developing hepatitis A infection,” the county public health department said in a statement. “Residents should contact their local pharmacy or medical provider to get vaccinated.”
Whole Foods said it was working closely with the department.
“The diagnosed team member is not working and we do not know if anyone else has become ill,” the company said in a statement. “While we have strict food safety processes in place in our stores, we encourage anyone who believes they may have been exposed to follow health department guidelines.”
Although no other infections linked to the Whole Foods case have been reported, county health officials said this week they have identified an outbreak of five cases of hepatitis A since March among people experiencing homelessness.
Officials said the risk to the general public was “low” but urged anyone who may have been exposed to check whether they have been vaccinated.
Homeless people are at higher risk of contracting the virus because of reduced access to hand-washing facilities and restrooms, officials said.
The last known outbreak of hepatitis A in California occurred between 2016 and 2018, primarily among people who were homeless or using drugs in environments with limited sanitation facilities. In San Diego — which also experienced a hepatitis A outbreak in 2017 — health officials reported an increase in cases among the homeless last year.
Times staff writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report.
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